Finishing or dressing textile fabrics with soapy preparations.



FIPEEO? UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT WEISS, 0F KINQERSHEIM, GERMANY.

FINISHING 0R DRESSING TEXTILE'FABRICS WITH SOAPY PREPARATIONS.

No Drawing.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ROBERT lVEIss, a citizen of the Swiss Republic, and resident of- Kingersheim, Alsatia, Germany, have invented new and useful Improvements in Finishing or Dressing Textile Fabrics with Soapy Preparations, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact specification.

I have observed that linen tissues finished or dressed with the usually employed aqueous soapy preparations become, after a more or less long time, either entirely or only on their white parts, more or less yellow, since the soap of the said preparations remaining in or on the fabric decomposes under the influence of air or heat and the thus generated decomposition products color the tissue yellow and that often under propagation of a bad smell. I have now found that this inconvenience can be avoided when for the above specified purposes technically pureammonium stearate or palmitate is substituted for the usually employed soaps. Under the expression technically pure ammonium stearate or palmitate I understand a product containing neither a sodium nor a potassium compound of a fatty acid.

To the ammonium stearate or palmitate can be added appropriate bodies capable to increase the purity of the fabric or of its white parts and to impart more gloss to the fabric, as for instance boric acid, perbor c,

borates, perborates and other persalts or bodies which are capable to increase the s fi pleness of the fabric, but do not reduce its whiteness and do not impart a bad smell to the fabric, as for instance vaseline and white mineral oil, palmitine, etc. Ammonium stearate or palmitate insure also the vividness and uniformity of the shade when it is employed to finish or dress fabrics light dyed with shading dyestuffs as ultramarine, smalt, substantive dyes or vat dyestuffs, since in these cases the fabrics are not subjected to a change of coloration by the soap.

I am aware of the fact that a solution of ammonium oleate has already been proposed for washing purposes in order to strengthen the goods and to lend them a lustrous appearance. On the contrary, the object of the present invention is to prevent that white or bleached fabrics particularly of vegetable fibers, as cotton or linen fabrics, become more or less yellow after a more or Specification a lletters Patent; P t t d M 19, 1914., Application filed November 18, 1912. Serial No. 732,078.

less time, in consequence of the decompositlon of the soap employed for their finishing (softening). This result cannot be obtained with every one of the ammonium salts of fatty acids, but is only obtainable with ammonium stearate or palmitate. I am also aware of the fact that common oils have been added to the soap solutions employed for treating clothes containing cotton; but such addition of a common oil containing oleic acid promotes the yellow coloration of the goods and is by no means an equivalent of Vaseline, white mineral oil, etc., employed in the present invention and which do not contain oleic acid. I am also aware of the fact, that boric acid has already been added to organic finishing agents in order to prevent their putrefaction on the fibers and to affect the weight and the handle of the goods. On the contrary, according to the present invention fEflbmwmd other persalts, boric acid, e c., are added to the finishing agent in order to increase the purity of the fabrics or of their white parts and to impart them more gloss.

It will be understood that the present invention is only applicable to linen tissues of'cotton or other vegetable fibers leaving the finish to be removed therefrom by a single washing of the tissues with cold or lukewarm water or alkalized with ammonia.

What I claim is:

l. The described improvement in finishing or dressing linen tissues with aqueous soapy preparations consisting in substituting technically pure ammonium stearate or palmitate for the soaps usually employed to the said purpose.

2.. The described improvement in finishing or dressing linen tissues with aqueous soapy preparations, consisting in substituting for the soaps usually employed to the said purpose technically pure ammonium stearate or palmitate mixed with at least one body capable of increasing the purity of the fabric or of its white parts and to impart more gloss to the fabric.

3. The described improvement in finishing or dressing linen tissues with aqueous soapy preparations, consisting in substituting for the soaps usually employed to the said purpose technically pure ammonium stearate or palmitate mixed with at least one body capable of increasing the supplewith Water slightly, 4

6. The described improvement in finishing or dressing textile fabrics with soapy preparations consisting in substituting for the soaps usually employed to the said purpose technically pure ammonium stearate or palmitate mixed with Vaseline and a perborate.

In witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name this 7th day of November 1912, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ROBERT WEISS.

Witnesses Gno. GIFronD, ARNAUD BRAUN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0. 

